Elephant Butte State Park

This morning we left Las Cruces and drove 90-miles north on I-25 to Elephant Butte, which turns out to be quite an established resort area, New Mexico style. Elephant Butte Reservoir is New Mexico' largest artificial lake (60 square miles) and is much loved by these desert dwelling residents. There are several in-the-park and close by hiking trails and this afternoon, after we un-hitched, we sampled the local nature trail.

Before we left Hacienda RV Resort in Las Cruces I took a picture of the little yellow flowers (maybe one inch across) that are just beginning to open. They are growing on the fence between our site and the next one. 

Just north of Las Cruces. No wind today.

Maybe twenty miles north of Las Cruces we passed through a border check-point.

About thirty miles north of Las Cruces the landscape began to change and become more interesting. Those are some canyons forming in the distance.

Nice bluffs, and...

another nice bluff.

The walls along the side of the road entering Elephant Butte, which is also the name of the town.

Elephant Butte Lake from the nature trail.

Today's hike:

Length - 1.84 miles

Duration - 1 hour

Elevation gain - 70 feet (9 floors on the Fitbit)